Message of the Week 31 January - 4 February 2022
Week 5
Effective use of technology a differentiator for SMBs
Salesforce’s Fifth Small and Medium Business Trends Report released at the end of last year serves to confirm our belief that the effective use of technology can be a huge differentiator for small and medium businesses (SMBs), helping them to bolster their relationships and build a solid foundation for future growth.
The report, which includes insights from more than 2500 SMBs, states that:
- 71% of growing SMBs survived the pandemic through digitisation,
- 42% of growing SMBs accelerated tech investments over the past year,
- 72% of SMBs grew their online presence over the past year.
The study also highlights that during a time of enormous change and uncertainty, SMBs were investing in technology with the aim of increasing productivity (62%), improving business agility (60%), and increasing data security (54%).
Technology can help SMBs to grow their supply chains by tapping into international markets, personalising their offerings, and analysing their operations to strategise for the future. But trends show that technology needs to work together with environmental awareness and a drive to a green economy. SMBs need to find new ways to reduce their carbon footprints and become more resource efficient.
But B2B buyers must remember that SMBs now want “A-I-R”: Advice, Insights, and Recommendations as to how to move their businesses forward to achieve their objectives.
Kyocera has the full range of products, and the green credentials, to tap into innovative and growing SMB markets. What we need to remember is to continuously tap into our customers’ needs through the following:
- Regularly “LISTEN” to what’s happening externally – i.e. to what other companies, industries and geographic markets are doing right,
- Make the most of cross-functional teams in the company working together to meet customer needs,
- Look for opportunities to collaborate with customers, suppliers, industry associations, and by
- Encourage experimentation and new ideas as a means to grow and move forward.
If firms are serious about adopting more technology and driving the green economy, we are in a great position to help in the provision of much needed SMB differentiators.